My Musical Life

Of all the things humans create, I think music is one of the most essential ones. Music is collective and moves us as much as it moves through us. Music is structured with diverse and ever-changing patterns. Any one song, can be preformed as either uplifting or depressing just by simply changing its speed or its tone. Even without lyrics, music is universal in its emotions and complexity. It is always meant to be appreciated.

I am sure I moved from the first moment music hit my ears. I have always had a hard time sitting still if a good beat is on. Music has followed me through every step of my life, adding little bits of glee to dark years. Music can leave me with epiphanies, anthems, or just mark moments in time.

Music speaks both truth and lies. Some can inspire, while some is forceful and volatile. Music is emotionally charged and creates its own movement. It plays with us and ushers us from one thing to the next as though we were bees collecting pollen. Nothing moves me like music. Rhythm is a dancer.

As a small child, I believe I listened to whatever was popular on the radio in the 1970’s. I don’t remember it being restricted to any one genre until my years in Florida. After that I went through (in no order) a country phase, a pop phase, a 1950’s phase, a “whatever they are playing on MTV phase”, a rap phase, a metal phase, an alternative phase, a punk phase, a funk phase, a classic rock phase, and back around again.

I’ve always done housework to music. I can still picture a smaller version of myself, vacuum handle in one hand, cord in the other, smiling as I sung along with Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty. My first ever full-size record was “Grease” and I played it until every song had a skip in it. There was a time where the only 3 albums I had to listen to were Run DMC, the Beastie Boys, and Sade. Prince’s Purple Rain changed my musical life forever.

I love the feeling of getting so into a good song that you forget everything around you or it feels like everything is being brought into the moment itself. That is the same quality I want my writing to have. I want it to feel essential and universal as it moves through my reader. I want my writing to be emotional and appreciated. Most of all I want my reader to enjoy it as much as they do their favorite song.